Developing organic agricultural cooperatives

Developing organic agricultural cooperatives Area of land for growing medicinal Solanum torvum (Solanum torvum) organically by people in Dien Lu commune (Ba Thuoc district).

Recognizing the trend and demand for clean products from consumers, Thach Tien Cooperative in Cam Thach commune (Cam Thuy district) has invested hundreds of millions of VND to renovate its fruit tree plantations and develop livestock farming in a natural way. Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan, the cooperative's director, said: "Since 2017, I have built a comprehensive farm producing according to VietGAP standards. But with the desire to create products that meet the increasingly high demands of the market, I established a cooperative and applied the '5 no' standards (no chemical fertilizers, no chemicals, no pesticides, no herbicides, no growth stimulants). The cooperative has self-composted organic fertilizer for crop cultivation and researched methods of mixing feed for livestock and poultry. This not only reduces the amount of waste from chemical fertilizers and pesticides that negatively impact the environment but also helps save production costs and create safe products."

Reportedly, the organically grown agricultural products of Thach Tien Cooperative are supplied to supermarkets and safe food stores in the province at a price approximately 15-20% higher than traditionally grown products. Annual revenue reaches nearly 2 billion VND, with a profit of over 400 million VND per year.

Considered one of the exemplary units applying organic farming methods to medicinal plant production, the Pu Luong Medicinal Plant Cooperative (Ba Thuoc district) has guided local people in cultivating nearly 60 hectares of milk thistle, black sesame, mugwort, etc., as raw materials for pharmaceutical processing for several large enterprises nationwide. Mr. Ha Van Kiem, a resident of Son village, Lung Cao commune, who participates in mugwort production in collaboration with the Pu Luong Medicinal Plant Cooperative, said: "Participating in the project to develop medicinal plants in an organic direction, we received training on how to produce and care for the plants. Absolutely no chemical fertilizers or pesticides are used. With organic farming methods, people spend more time weeding and caring for the plants; however, the medicinal products produced are certified safe by specialized agencies and purchased by the cooperative at a higher price, thus achieving higher economic efficiency compared to traditional production."

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Than, Director of the Pu Luong Medicinal Herb Cooperative, said: "Organic production is a new method, different from the traditional production practices of the local people. Therefore, the cooperative has to coordinate with several organizations to provide training and support with organic fertilizers and biological products for the people. Thanks to proper cultivation techniques, the medicinal herb products achieve good quality, not only bringing stable income to the people but also contributing to changing the production mindset of the people, especially in mountainous areas."

It is known that in 2023, the Pu Luong Medicinal Herb Cooperative linked production and purchased approximately 2,000 tons of medicinal herbs from people in the districts of Ba Thuoc, Cam Thuy, Thuong Xuan, Trieu Son, etc., bringing in revenue of over 4 billion VND. In 2024, the cooperative has been expanding the area of linked organic medicinal herb cultivation to include 3 more communes in Ba Thuoc district and some communes in Hoang Hoa and Nhu Thanh districts.

According to statistics from the Provincial Cooperative Union, to date, the province has 13 agricultural cooperatives participating in the production, processing, and consumption of organic agricultural products, with the main products being safe vegetables, mushroom cultivation, honey production, medicinal herbs, and cordyceps. In addition, several cooperatives are involved in the production and provision of agricultural services for organic rice production. The cooperatives producing organic and organically-oriented agricultural products in the province focus on applying biotechnology in providing nutrients, maintaining natural predators, and treating plant residues in the fields, contributing to the creation of high-quality, safe products that meet the increasingly high demands and tastes of the market. However, organic production requires very high costs, and not all cooperatives have the economic resources to develop sustainably. Furthermore, organic agricultural products are considered to have high standards, resulting in high production costs, which somewhat limits the consumer base and necessitates the involvement of businesses to guarantee income for members...

Mr. Le Hong Hai, Vice Chairman of the Provincial Cooperative Union, said: Currently, the Cooperative Union is closely following Directive No. 10-CT/TU, dated October 16, 2022, of the Provincial Party Committee on leading and directing the promotion of clean agriculture, organic agriculture, and circular agriculture in the province; and Decision No. 3809/QD-UBND, dated November 7, 2022, of the Provincial People's Committee on approving the Project for the Development of Organic Agriculture in Thanh Hoa Province, giai đoạn 2022-2030, to support and encourage cooperatives to participate in organic agricultural production. During the training program, the Cooperative Alliance also integrated content on organic and safe agricultural production to enhance the production capacity of agricultural cooperatives, thereby replicating the model of organic agricultural production cooperatives and contributing to achieving the goal of having 2,000 hectares of crop cultivation and 758.5 hectares of aquaculture in the province following organic farming practices and meeting organic standards by 2024.

Text and photos: Le Hoa

Source